Isaiah 40:1-3
1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: *for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
*This piece of the verse is not in The Messiah
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah tell of Judah and Israel’s wickedness, warnings and finally judgment. Chapter 40 begins a new direction of the book in which Isaiah gives comfort to a downtrodden people.
1. In the first verse God wants Israel and Judah to know that they are still His people. You are my people, and I have not forgotten you, be comforted says, not Isaiah, or your enemies that torment you, but your God. We can know that in our darkest times that God knows about our situation and while we may not know when it will end or why it is happening, we can trust in the Lord.
2. Again the words of comfort are reiterated but more specifically to Jerusalem. Another translation is “Speak upon the heart of Jerusalem” or “Bid Jerusalem take heart...” Also, "Jerusalem" can be replaced with "the people of Israel." Your service has ended and your sins are pardoned. This is a foreshadowing of what is to happen on the cross. Be comforted because your warfare against your own flesh is ended and your sins are pardoned, because of the sacrifice on the cross.
3. I can’t help but think of John the Baptist who cried out to the people of the coming Messiah. God is preparing the way for His Son. "Prepare" suggests the removing of obstacles so that this highway of the Lord can lead His peoples back to the Zion.
What a great way to start The Messiah, Be comforted, you are not alone. One is coming that will remove your iniquities and lead you back to the Lord
No3. EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE EXALTED >>
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